Chapter 13
The Personal Cost
Ben reveals his personal connection to the Pentagon's actions, a family member who was harmed. This deepens his commitment to Anya's cause and fuels his urgency.
Ben’s usually bright eyes were clouded with a sorrow Anya hadn't seen before. They sat in the quiet hum of Anya’s small office, the late afternoon sun slanting through the window, painting stripes of gold across the worn wooden desk. The air, usually filled with the scent of old paper and Anya’s faint lavender perfume, now felt heavy, charged with an unspoken weight. Anya had asked Ben to meet, hoping he’d have more news about the strange discrepancies in the supply manifests, the ones that seemed to vanish into thin air. But the news he carried was far more personal, and far more devastating.
“It wasn’t just the supplies, Anya,” Ben began, his voice a low rumble that barely disturbed the stillness. He traced the grain of the desk with a fingertip, his gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond the wall. “It was… it was my Uncle Leo.”
Anya’s breath hitched. Uncle Leo. She remembered him vaguely, a kind man with a booming laugh who used to bring Anya’s favorite pastries from the old bakery before it closed down. He’d been one of the many who’d left town seeking work after the conflict, hoping for a fresh start.
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